


Bad Place for a Window

by Cardigan_Quincy



Category: A Hat in Time (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, I'm Bad At Titles, a little light fic bc I wanted to hang out with the characters, dadtcher (kinda), just the beginnings of it, no editing we die like men, originally was supposed to be for my AU but it works for the regular canon, totally wasn't inspired by repeatedly falling out of Snatcher's tree whatareyoutalkingabout
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:42:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23917726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cardigan_Quincy/pseuds/Cardigan_Quincy
Summary: Hat Kid's trying to climb the tree. Snatcher's trying to chill with his copy of Frankenstein. Due to that one weirdly placed hole above his chair, neither get what they want.Also, there's a hug, which they both need more of, and Snatcher does some introspection, which he definitely needs more of.
Comments: 20
Kudos: 186





	Bad Place for a Window

He was reading, in his armchair, listening to the sounds of his forest and the distant (sometimes not so distant) pattering of the kid trying to climb his tree. At first he’d kept an eye out for her — falling from even halfway up could easily have injured or even killed her, and he didn’t like that sort of thing happening in his forest without his direct involvement. He was more than ready to zip out of his chair to catch her, and had started to a few times. But somehow, despite all known laws of physics, her tiny umbrella was able to break her fall and deliver her safely onto the ground.

Suited him just fine. This way he didn’t have to get up. 

Each time she fell, she’d let out a long, frustrated groan and mutter to herself — something about the mushrooms being stupidly placed or how she  _ absolutely made that jump are you kidding me _ — and then shake herself off and scamper back up.

He let himself relax a bit, wondered if maybe he should cave in and just give her the prize he’d stashed up there for her when he found out what she was trying. Something told him she’d want to get up there anyway though. She was stubborn like that. Especially for a kid. And that would mean getting up, so nah. He curled up a bit more in his chair and went back to reading.

_ … I endeavored to crush these fears and to fortify myself for the trial which in a few months I resolved to undergo; and sometimes I allowed my thoughts, unchecked by reason, to ramble in the fields of Paradise, and dared to fancy amiable and lovely creatures sympathizing with my feelings and cheering my gloom; their angelic countenances breathed smiles of consolation. But it was all a dream; no Eve soothed my sorrows nor shared my thoughts; I was alone. I remembered Adam’s supplication to his Creator. But where was mine? He had abandoned me, and in the bitterness of my heart I cursed him. _

_ Autumn passed thus. I saw, with surprise and grief, the leaves decay and fall, and nature again assumed the barren and bleak appearance it had worn when I first beheld the woods and the lovely moon. Yet I did not heed —  _

And suddenly there was a tiny little girl, upside down, half on the book and half on his lap.

He reacted before he could even think about what he was doing. Grabbed her arm, grew as big as the ceiling of his tree would allow, summoned fire in his free hand — and froze.

What was he doing? It was just the kid. He was safe here, he knew he was safe here — and yet his nonexistent heart was pounding, his unnecessary breathing came fast and hard. 

Her hat drifted down a moment later, settling on the floor near his tail.

It had felt, just for a second, like he was still back _ there _ .

Back there, where she would sometimes fly into a rage over a thought, a daydream she’d had that turned sour. Even after he was locked away, she’d come down screaming, screaming that she knew he was still thinking about that girl in the village, or some other random girl he only barely remembered. And she would punish him.

Her claws were so sharp...

The kid dangled from his hand. Her eyes were wide, surprised, maybe scared — and she  _ should _ be scared, he was the scariest thing in this entire pecking _ forest _ … bar one. He noticed he had her by the upper arm, not too unlike where he himself had been chained…

He sat down, abruptly, and even though he hadn’t intended to do anything with her in particular, she ended up on his lap again. He was back to his smaller size now, almost, but he couldn’t bring himself to do much else. What would the kid even think of him? Derailed by something so simple. But she’d surprised him. Taken him off guard. That  _ never  _ happened. Not anymore. And he hadn’t been prepared, and he wasn’t prepared now to talk about it, or even look at her and see the question on her face.

She shifted, timidly. He didn’t look at her, expecting her to get up and leave, take her hat and go somewhere safer. Where there wasn’t a super-powerful ghost who nearly killed her over a little bump. Where people wouldn’t nearly kill her over an accident.

She wrapped her arms around his chest, and squeezed.

And if he didn’t know what to do before, he certainly didn’t now. 

But… she was  _ warm _ . So very warm, in a way that he hadn’t felt since he was alive. It chased away the memories of the ice and the snow and the pain. Her soft little form couldn’t be farther from Vanessa’s claws. Slowly, he brought his arms in, barely touching her, and hugged her back.

She relaxed and cuddled in closer, and so did he, and for a long time, that’s exactly how they stayed. 

She was so  _ strange _ . Just a kid, and not only did she come into his forest alone, she also seemed to be just as comfortable here as anywhere else. And with him, of all people. He’d seen hundreds of people in his forest over the years. Every one of them met their end quaking in terror, some begging for mercy, some too terrified to speak. Very few had earned the chance to fight for their freedom in his little test. None had ever won.

And even if they had, he doubted very much that any of them would have stuck around very long after. Yet here she was, cuddling up in the arms of a ghost that had tried to kill her. A ghost that she, despite everything, had decided was going to be her BFF, and not just for her own gain, no no. She would have asked for something by now, if that was it. She wasn’t just trying to make him her friend, she was trying to be his.

He had no idea what to do with that. But it didn’t seem like she was going to leave any time soon. Maybe he’d get the chance to figure it out.

  
  
  



End file.
